1832.] HABITS OF A CUTTLE-FISH. 7 
pools of: water left by the retiring tide, these animals were not 
easily caught. By means of their long arms and suckers, they 
could drag their bodies into very narrow crevices; and when 
thus fixed, it required great force to remove them. At other 
times they darted tail first, with the rapidity of an arrow, from 
one side of the pool to the other, at the same instant discolouring 
the water with a dark chestnut-brown ink. These animals also 
escape detection by a very extraordinary, chameleon-like power 
of changing their colour. They appear io vary their tints accord- 
ing to the nature of the ground over which they pass: when in 
deep water, their general shade was brownish purple, but when 
placed on the land, or in shallow water, this dark tint changed 
into one of a yellowish green. The colour, examined more care- 
fully, was a French grey, with numerous minute spots of bright 
yellow: the former of these varied in intensity ; the latter entirely 
disappeared and appeared again by turns. These changes were 
effected in such a manner, that clouds, varying in tint between a 
hyacinth red and a chestnut brown,* were continually passing 
over the body. Any part, being subjected to a slight shock of 
galvanism, became almost black: a similar effect, but in a less 
degree, was produced by scratching the skin witha needle. These 
clouds, or blushes as they may be called,.are said to be produced 
by the alternate expansion and contraction of minute vesicles 
containing variously coloured fluids.t 
This cuttle-fish displayed its chameleon-like power both during 
the act of swimming and whilst remaining stationary at the bot- 
tom. I was much amused by the various arts to escape detection 
used by one individual, which seemed fully aware that I was 
watching it. Remaining for a time motionless, it would then 
stealthily advance an inch or two, like a cat after a mouse ; some- 
times changing its colour: it thus proceeded, till having gained a 
deeper part, it darted away, leaving a dusky train of ink to hide 
the hole into which it had crawled. 
While looking for marine animals, with my head about two 
feet above the rocky shore, I was more than once saluted by a 
jet of water, accompanied by a slight grating noise. At first I 
eould not think what it was, but afterwards I found out that it was 
* So named according to Patrick Symes’s nomenclature. 
{ See Encyclop. of Anat. and Physiol., article Cephalopoda, 
